Three British men have been jailed in New York after admitting credit card fraud which saw tennis star James Blake tackled to the ground by police outside a Manhattan hotel in a case of mistaken identity.

Jarmaine Grey, James Short and Tolulope Akinnugba admitted that they had used stolen credit cards to buy more than $18,000 worth of designer clothes and shoes as well as iPhones and champagne.

The men pleaded guilty to fraud as part of a plea deal and were all sentenced to six months in prison.

James Short, left, and Jarmaine, Grey, right, who have both been jailed after admitting credit card fraud in a New York hotel

Grey's lawyer Jeremy Saland told the New York Post: 'But for the fact there was an overly aggressive police officer who tackled Mr Blake, we likely would not have had the magnitude of attention on this matter.

'I expect that they all will return to England and continue to live a law-abiding and productive life.'

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The three men admitted using the online courier service GoButler to have the stolen goods delivered to the Grand Hyatt New York hotel in Midtown Manhattan.

Tolulope Akinnugba was also jailed after admitting his part in the credit card scam

At the same time, the group used a picture of an Australian businessman from a phony Instagram account to front their scam.

The picture bore a resemblance to the former tennis player, Blake, who was once ranked number four in the world by the ATP Tour.

And last year while waiting outisde of the same hotel for a car to take him to the US Open at Flushing Meadow, he was slammed to the ground and handcuffed by a police officer, who thought he was a suspect.

Video released by the NYPD at the time showed the 36-year-old calmly leaning against a column at the entrance to the hotel.

A moment later, a plain clothes officer,James Frascatore, dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt swoops in, grabs Blake by the neck, pushes him against a glass door and then hurls him to the ground.

With curious passersby looking on, the cop proceeds to draw Blake's arms behind his back and places handcuffs on his wrists.

In the video, the former tennis ace lies flat on his stomach with the officer sitting on top of him, his right knee pressed against the man’s backside.

Throughout the arrest, Blake makes no visible attempts to fight back or try to get up, confirming his assertion that he was fully cooperative.

Speaking after the incident Blake said he accepted that mistakes do happen, but objected to the manner in which he was arrested

NYPD officer James Frascatore (right) was placed on desk duty after he wrongfully arrested James Blake (left)

In footage released by the NYPD, Blake was grabbed by the neck, pushed against a glass door and then hurled to the ground by Officer Frascatore

In the video, the former tennis ace lies flat on his stomach with the officer sitting on top of him, his right knee pressed against the man’s backside

He told the New York Daily News: ''I don't think this person should ever have a badge or a gun again. I don't think it's too much to ask.

'I think that that kind of police officer tarnishes the badge, which I have the utmost respect for and I believe that the majority of police officers do great work and they're heroes.

'So this person doesn't ever belong in the same sentence with the heroes that are doing the right kind of police work and keeping the public safe.'

Blake was born in Yonkers, New York and was raised in both New York and Connecticut and attended Harvard before dropping out after his sophomore year to turn professional.

He played professionally from 2001 until 2013, when he retired from the sport in August 2013 and now lives in San Diego with his wife and their two daughters.

Blake was born in Yonkers, New York and played professional tennis on the ATP Tour for 12 years before retiring in August 2013